I have been on blood pressure tablets, for a couple of years for high BP. Problem is that at rest my BP is around 150 sys which is too high, yet if I move/ get involved in any sort of activity, my BP almost disappears and I can begin to feel faint. Normal during any activity seems to be around 110, but it can fall much lower. All I need to do to get it down to 110, is climb the stairs. Doctors only seem interested in their BP checks at rest and seem to dismiss my own measurements.
I had one for 4 days, a full weekend. They take a reading every 30 minutes or so, but failed to catch any low readings so the problem was dismissed. At home I can check my BP, when I know it has dived to low.
I am doing a 7 day batch of readings at home, at the movement, to hand in to hopefully convince them that I do have a problem.
Is it normal for BP to fall on the lightest physical activity? I would expect the opposite, more activity, more blood flow needed, higher BP.
They (the medics) normally measure 'resting' BP, at least initially. If they see something of concern, I understand the can fit you with a monitor to take and record readings for a few days but I've never seem one.
150 sys looks like something to have looked at.
BP normally rises with activity but it should return to your normal resting number. Going down seems unusual, at least to me.
polygonum_on_google laid this down on his screen :
'Orthostatic' - at least I now have a name for it. I've searched my patient record for that word and nothing found. My symptoms match those described in the link. Thanks!
If BP falls quickly, the heart rate will increase to try to compensate. I've seen this effect with drugs that dilate blood vessels causing a rapid drop in BP.
So maybe it's your BP dropping for some reason and your pulse rate rising as a result, rather than the other way around?
Strange to relate I had exactly the same problem. I have compromised. I have mild hypertension at rest, but after a few trips up stairs its middle of normal. Nobody knows why this can occur either. I suspect its my aging arteries and the fact that strangely when my heart rate is over 88, my blood pressure goes down. I'm just glad nobody can see our innards, as all the squishy bits and bits of plumbing banging about would be rather should destroying I suspect. Brian
They could i suppose but since they don't understand why it happens, its probably going to be pointless. They think it might be changes in liver activity. Brian
Well since I'm the same, iI don't see it as a problem, but then the bp only shows mild hp so I guess its just what one is comfortable with. If they treat the symptoms, then they are probably not understanding the cause and it could be normal for us. Remember they seldom measure it when you are young and well, do they? Brian
I have a watch that can communicate with a smartphone and save a list of readings at 10 minute intervals of 24 hours. May something like that would spur your doctor's interest.
I thought the generic description for what you described was "postural hypotension" on which you'll find a lot of general NHS guidance and a wealth of /possible/ causes.
If you google long and hard on this, you may eventually find the abstract of a paper published on this very subject a few years ago now.
About the potential significance of wide variations in blood pressure readings. A topic which was also of interest to me.
Given that nothing ever seems to have come of this I always assumed that this was because there was no obvious way to treat this condition. Either that, or its neither sufficiently widespread nor dangerous as to make further research worthwhile.
In general doctors aren't usually that keen to discuss conditions for which they can't offer any treatment or advice. As rather perversely perhaps they don't want patients to worry unnecessarily
However once having found the paper or at least the abstract this may give you a better idea of the general situation. And possibly you could print it out and see what your doctor says.
In general all such measurements, hysteric and dialsolic bp, glucose, cholesterol, no matter how rigorously measured are only ever snapshots. As snapshots are all that's required for general screening or to indicate instances requiring further investigation. Averages are much more indicative of underlying problems but those might be averages covering one day, one week, or even one month depending on what's being measured.
That is the feeling I am getting. I have mentioned it numerous times and it has never really been followed up. As they have prescribed, I have had times when my BP as fallen so very low, they have had to agree to reduce the dosage/ compromise somewhat on my at rest high BP.
The recently put me on 2mg doxazosin, which had me needing to do a controlled collapse on the kitchen floor. As a result they compromised by changing it to 1mg per day.
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